hollyroger

I had a ferret as a kid that I named Gandolf and he was without a doubt one of the best pets I ever had. Now I have two ferrets, Master Shake and Hatter (as in, the Mad) and they are a riot! They are just so friendly and playful, so curious and mischevious. I can’t imagine better furry friends. But be warned, they like to nab stuff. I busted a cache of stolen objects under the couch last week, and found my Ipod in their cage yesterday, along with some quartz crystals and the DVD remote. Go figure.

I read a lot, and when I come across an unfamiliar word, I write it down. Eventually I look the word up in the dictionary and write it and the definition down in my word journal. I’ve been doing that a long time, since high school, and it’s really cool to look back and see that I’ve integrated so many of those words into my vocabulary. I’m going to start posting the words I look up.

I became a vegetarian nearly 5 years ago. I had a “revelation” of sorts and immediately stopped eating meat. I was in college at the time and didn’t know much about nutrition; Mac n’cheese was about the extent of my culinary skill. I ate a lot of junk food and cheese and became anemic (low iron). Today I enjoy a very healthy diet, love to cook for myself and friends, and am in the process of transitioning to a completely vegan diet.

My advice to anyone seting out to become a vegetarian;

1. Be gentle with yourself. Not many people quit cold turkey (haha), and there’s not a vegetarian I know that hasn’t had a weak moment or two. If you slip up and devour a cow at lunch, don’t let it totally derail you. You’re making an incredible change in your life, and it doesn’t happen over night. (If you’re craving meat like mad, it probably means you’re not getting enough protein.)

2. Learn to cook for yourself. You and all your friends and family will greatly benefit, and it’s fun, I swear.

3. Get a good book on nutrition, one that’s specifically written for vegetarians/vegans is probably best. You need to know how to meet your nutritional needs in order to stay healthy. Plus, when your mother grills you about protein and iron and B12 you’ll be able to reassure her that you know what you’re doing. (This is my favorite book: The New Becoming Vegetarian: The Essential Guide To A Healthy Vegetarian Diet by Vesanto Melina and Brenda Davis)

4. Be prepared to talk about your diet. People often ask lots of questions after they learn that I’m a vegetarian. The most commonly asked question is, “Why?” followed by questions about nutrition. You don’t have to explain your actions to anyone, but I think of it as a great chance to share my beliefs and explain my point of view.

I hope this helps some of you. I think that switching to a plant-based diet is one of the most important things we can do for the planet and each other; I commend you on your vision and determination to live your values.

Peace,
Holly

I’ve thought about living on a commune since high school, although back then I wanted it to be an island where we could grow copious amounts of pot. Actually, I’d still like that, but I’ve done a lot of research since then and realize how much work the commune life really is. Regardless, it still looks like paradise to me. To have a sense of community, of common purpose with people who are truly living their values, that seems so important in times like these. I plan to visit an ecovillage this summer, Dancing Rabbit, to get a real feel for the life and an idea of how to get started. I’d love to hear advice from anyone with a little experience!